Thursday, December 27, 2012

Fernando and Humberto, are the Campana Brothers. Both born in São Paulo, a mix of a lawyer and an architect who decided to join and create/design furniture from ordinary material. They started at the beginning of the 80's causing controversy and lots of critics but this brought massive attention on them.

By the early 90's they were already known in Europe and the U.S. And in 1998 they presented an exhubition along with lightning designer Ingo Maurer at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.

They have by now an amazing and long resumé, including São Paulo Design Week, Moss New York Design Week, Milan Design Week and collaborations for Hotel Athens, Venini, Klein Karoo, Lacoste and many many more.

This year, Maison & Objet, selected the design duo as "Creator of the Year" for the significant influence to the design and architecture scene.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Nicolas Ghesquière was born in 1971 in Comines. His dad owned a golf course and his mom was a fashion lover...

In his resumé, Agnès B (aged 15), then Jean-Paul Gaultier where he made an internship with the designer. In 1995, he got hired as a licensed product designer for Balenciaga, making an approach to the brand. "It's OK. I will go and I will see what the potential is
and see what is going on. So it was not the most glamorous way to
approach the brand. But it was interesting to work on this license
and to see what was left from Balenciaga." Two years after this, he got named as Balenciaga's new creative director.

After this happened, back in 1997, all of his collections started to succeed, giving more reputation to the house and to himself.

"We've
developed the brand," he told Interview magazine in
January 2010. "I probably feel more solid because the brand is
solid and I feel stronger than my years. But I put so much pressure
on myself, which makes me very insecure. With my designs and my
ideas, I want to please myself first. I'm always very stressed
about making a new proposition every season. But in a way, it's a
kind of addiction. In another way, it's a crazy pressure. I try to
stay quiet about the whole situation, because fashion itself can be
crazy, and everyone wants a part of you."

After more than 10 years working for the famous fashion house, he gained everyone's respect and admiration. Every season me, and many more, waited for each Paris Fashion Week to see what Ghesquière's proposal for the season was. And it was always mind blowing. Unique silhouettes, weird/new materials, volume, show... The whole package to make of his show one of a kind.

After all this success, after dressing Nicole Kidman for her wedding, working with Charlotte Gainsburg, getting Twilight's hated Kirsten Stewart as spokeswoman and image for the brand... Ghesquière decides to leave Balenciaga behind.

"With an
incomparable creative talent, Nicolas has brought to Balenciaga an
artistic contribution essential to the unique influence of the
house", said François-Henri Pinault, chairman and
CEO of PPR.

Is not confirmed what Ghesquière's future will be. If he would launch his own brand or start with another house... By the moment I will make a little homage to one of the designer's I admire the most. Here's a selection of my favorite designs.